Laurits Munch-Petersen (born on July 19, 1973; in Copenhagen[1]) is a Danish film director who graduated from the National Film School of Denmark with his Oscar-winning diploma film "Between Us"[2] (Mellem Os) in 2004. This film won 13 international film awards and became the most award-winning film in the history of The National Film School of Denmark.[3]
Laurits directed several films and series including the feature film Ambulance (2005), Seducer's Fall (2007), Over the Edge (2012), Shadow of a Hero (2015), Dolphin (2017), On the Road with Dad (2018), etc.
In 2021 Laurits' feature film "Ambulance" was remade as Ambulance by Hollywood director Michael Bay and starring Jake Gyllenhaal.[4]
Laurits is the son of the internationally acclaimed Danish designer Ursula Munch-Petersen and Danish painter Erik Hagens, and grandson of legendary Danish painter and poet Gustaf Munch-Petersen who was shot at the age of 26 during the Spanish Civil War in 1938.
Laurits has three daughters: Iris Munch-Petersen (born 2009) Lucia Munch-Petersen (born 2013) and Mila Munch-Petersen (born 2018). Iris and Lucia appear in his film "Shadow of a Hero" (2015) and his children's TV series "On the Road with Dad" (2018), which became the most viewed TV series on DR Ramasjang in 2018.[5]
In 2009, Laurits signed a petition in support of film director Roman Polanski, calling for his release after Polanski was arrested in Switzerland in relation to his 1977 charge of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl.[6]
Laurits is also a writer and director for the new Danish TV series "Crasher", based on Søren Kierkegaard "Diary of a Seducer", which premiered on December 1, 2023.